We are involved in a three year study of the role that publishing houses play as "gatekeepers of ideas." We are concentrating on books published in the social and behavioral sciences, history, and philosophy, with particular emphasis on the fields of psychology and mental health. The primary focus of our attention is on how editors decide which books to publish. The data are being collected through intensive interviewing and participant observation in selected houses. The completed project will furnish important knowledge about the social determinants of the production and communication of ideas.